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134th out of 947 books
—
1,423 voters
Eve's Daughters
by
Lynn Austin (Goodreads Author)
What Would You Do If a Secret Was Causing Your Family to Crumble?
Is there a secret terrible enough that it should never be revealed, not even if it was tearing a family apart? For more than five decades Emma Bauer has kept one--carefully guarding it with all her strength, and for more than five decades that choice has haunted her life and also the lives of her daughters a...more
Is there a secret terrible enough that it should never be revealed, not even if it was tearing a family apart? For more than five decades Emma Bauer has kept one--carefully guarding it with all her strength, and for more than five decades that choice has haunted her life and also the lives of her daughters a...more
Paperback, 428 pages
Published
September 1st 1999
by Bethany House Publishers
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This was my first Lynn Austin book and my heart warmed right up to it. The story of 4 generations of women and how their choices affected their families ... even though it is fiction, I believe Austin challenges us to truly pause and reflect on this in our very own lives. She also brings the subject of sin very much to the forefront, showing us how much it pains God and yet His forgiveness abounds if only we repent. I felt her facts on Catholicism were never misrepresented and I appreciated that...more
This was another good book by Lynn Austin. Sometimes I really like the way she writes, and sometimes her trite comparisons and analogies seem a little forced. I enjoyed the telling of the stories of each of the four women in the story, and how she linked them together through the generations. Again, she has very strong Christian themes throughout the book as she makes her characters' faith a major part of their lives. The most interesting part of this story to me was the way she portrayed each o...more
I enjoyed the development of each character in this novel and how each woman came to the realization of how her choices impacts generations to come. How often to we overlook just how impactful our choices are, until farther down the road when we see the consequences never anticipated? To see one's true self sometimes means taking a trip down memory lane, as this novel appropriately demonstrates. Emma lived a life full of secrets, which ultimately left Grace feeling betrayed. However, upon discov...more
So about a week ago I was complaining that I didn't know what book to read but I really just wanted a GOOD book...Well, I found it...Read below! :)
I started this book on 11/07/2009. I finished this book on 11/11/2009.
This book got five stars from me which is a major thing. All I can say about book (well, not really all I can say) is WOW!! It was amazing. My favorite part was Emma's story. Okay now let's go back some, this book was about 3 women, (Grandmother, Mother, Daughter) and their stories...more
I started this book on 11/07/2009. I finished this book on 11/11/2009.
This book got five stars from me which is a major thing. All I can say about book (well, not really all I can say) is WOW!! It was amazing. My favorite part was Emma's story. Okay now let's go back some, this book was about 3 women, (Grandmother, Mother, Daughter) and their stories...more
This was the first Lynn Austin novel I'd read and I wasn't disappointed. Although the author is a Christian, she doesn't "preach at" the reader but instead, tells the story from a Christian perspective, as someone believing in God.
The story takes you from the 1800's to the 1980's. Four generations of women struggle with a 'secret'. Beginning with Louise and Friedrich's story and how Louise was obligated into an arranged marriage and leaves her homeland in Germany to flee to American so her husba...more
The story takes you from the 1800's to the 1980's. Four generations of women struggle with a 'secret'. Beginning with Louise and Friedrich's story and how Louise was obligated into an arranged marriage and leaves her homeland in Germany to flee to American so her husba...more
Have a huge box of kleenex for the last third of the book! I was bawling. I love how the author weaves the story through 4 generations of women. They refer to nessting dolls, how each "new mother" reacted to their marriage based on the perceptions of their mother's marriage. It was so heart rending. Emma, an 80 year old grandma, sees the failure of her grand-daughters marriage and realizes it stems from secrets of her own marriage. The whole book is told in "mini" stories from each of the genera...more
Lynn Austin is one of those solid writers for me. I know I can randomly pick up a book she has written and I will probably like it a lot. That's what this book was; I saw it at the library (and my mother-in-law's bookshelf) and decided to pick it up. I am glad I did. Like many of her books, it's a multi-generational story. Think Kate Morton with a religious tone. I love this style because it helps me to see how one person's decisions affect the following generation, for better or worse. No one i...more
Grab a tissue...as the description says a compelling story of four generations. I haven't felt involved in a book in a long time and this did it.
I have been very disappointed with her books recently so I had low expectations for this book when I picked it up to read a second time. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the plot line and the complexity of the characters. I'm glad that for once Lynn Austin didn't resort to clichés and stock characters. The typical author of Christian fiction would have immediately fixed Suzanne and Jeff's marriage by the end. I'm glad that Lynn didn't, that she instead portrayed them as real broken peo...more
Eve's Daughters is a wonderful book by Lynn Austin, however it starts off a bit slowly and doesn't QUITE measure up to some of her other books, but STICK WITH IT.
I began reading this book in August and couldn't stay with the first character's story. Louise was, to me, a very self-centered character and my least favorite protagonist. She didn't realize what she had until it was almost gone and moped constantly to the point of deep depression when her husband sacrificed everything for her safety....more
I began reading this book in August and couldn't stay with the first character's story. Louise was, to me, a very self-centered character and my least favorite protagonist. She didn't realize what she had until it was almost gone and moped constantly to the point of deep depression when her husband sacrificed everything for her safety....more
Eve's daughters is truly a many layered book. I was impacted by the history, the social context within which the characters lived. Austin is a master at conveying the social conventions of the time and avoids bringing in an overlay of today's differences. My take-away from this book is: We are flawed, fallen individuals who are seeking redemption. The four major female characters in this book certainly benefitted from this principle. Bravo! to Austin. I also read another of her books: A Woman's...more
Eve's Daughters is the story of Louise, her daughter Emma, her daughter Grace and her daughter Suzanne. While their individual stories are told, the stories are intertwined together. They tell their love stories, their heartaches and their beliefs. I loved that the women all turned back to God if they had fallen away.
The secret, which was not so obvious to the women in the book, was very obvious to the reader - at least it was to me. I couldn't wait for the women to learn the secret or to see if...more
The secret, which was not so obvious to the women in the book, was very obvious to the reader - at least it was to me. I couldn't wait for the women to learn the secret or to see if...more
Charming story of four generations of women. It follows the lives of four women and examines how the choices of each mother affect her daughter and beyond. I loved all the historical details woven throughout the novel. My favorite parts were definitely the descriptions of the different times that each of the women grew up in and how those historical events shaped their lives/personalities as well. However, I did find the religious aspects to be a little forced at times and a little too neat and...more
I finished this book last night and was prepared to give it 3 stars. It was enjoyable. However, I laid in bed for a long time thinking about it, and my mind has been going back to it all morning, so I decided to give it 4.
This is an interesting story about 4 generations of women and how their choices have had an effect on each other. I really enjoy the way the stories are linked together - the background story that makes them all important. I also appreciate that the characters are all different...more
This is an interesting story about 4 generations of women and how their choices have had an effect on each other. I really enjoy the way the stories are linked together - the background story that makes them all important. I also appreciate that the characters are all different...more
This is the first book I have read by Lynn Austin and I discovered her to be a gifted author. Her genius is in what I'm starting to call relational dynamic. The dynamic Austin creates between deep, rich, characters and real, living, cultures in a historical/ time setting is impressive.
Here's why I think this book is fantastic:
* CHARACTERIZATION: Austin's characters have a lot of depth. There are no paper cut outs here (the good person always does the perfect thing and everyone likes him, the evi...more
Here's why I think this book is fantastic:
* CHARACTERIZATION: Austin's characters have a lot of depth. There are no paper cut outs here (the good person always does the perfect thing and everyone likes him, the evi...more
Lynn Austin has become my favorite author. I want to read everything she writes. Eve's Daughters is written a bit differently than normal and there were times when I had to go back and remember who was telling their story. But once I got used to the style, I fell in love with each character, laughed and cried with them. The ending is perfect! Even though I suspected what Emma's secret was, I didn't really know for sure until near the end which kept me on the edge of my seat to find out. This is...more
This was an interesting read. I don't agree with the idea that women are cursed because Eve "sinned" (as the book suggests), but believe Eve did what needed to be done so we could experience mortality. For me, the book was a valuable read and I appreciated the way it showed how God can bring about something good from our own mistakes or the mistakes of others. It renewed my faith in God, reminding me that He knows us, loves us and plans for the challenges we face in life.
I started reading Lynn Austin books because of a mention in my college newspaper. From the first I was hooked. Her characters are well developed. She writes on very sensitive issues from a Christian prospective. Her books are historical, but I really have felt myself relating to the issues while learning about history, not as it came from my school books. I have read one other book from her and have another on my list to read.
I have read a few of Lynn Austin's books previously and was told by a dear friend to read this one. It did not disappoint....I had some trouble getting into the book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Lynn Austin has a wonderful way of captivating her readers and making them feel as if they know the characters personally. I figured out some of the secrets right away...but I wanted to make sure I had them right, so I read 200+ pages in one sitting. The four different eras were very interest...more
This was a great book, and one that I've had on my mind since I finished it. It told the stories of several generations of women and how their decisions affected their daughters.
I'm not sure that I agreed with how Emma handled her situation. When her whole story was told, her decision made sense, but I can't help but think how things would have been if she'd decided differently.
I'm not sure that I agreed with how Emma handled her situation. When her whole story was told, her decision made sense, but I can't help but think how things would have been if she'd decided differently.
My first book of the new year and boy was it a good one. This book was fun to read because it's a 3 generation story of women in the same family a great grandmother, grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. It shows how the mistakes we make do carry on to the fourth generation and they too can suffer the same sorrows if we don't speak up and change the lives for our next generation.
We're supposed to learn from our mother's mistakes, not react to them. That is the pattern you have to change. p.112
Eve's Daughters examines the heartbreaking, inadvertent impact of "bad choices" or "sin" on our children and grandchildren, like following a scarlet thread through time. It personalizes this concept through the engaging, compelling, personal stories of four generations of women in a single family. And, in the case of this family, dishonesty intended to protect the innocent created...more
Eve's Daughters examines the heartbreaking, inadvertent impact of "bad choices" or "sin" on our children and grandchildren, like following a scarlet thread through time. It personalizes this concept through the engaging, compelling, personal stories of four generations of women in a single family. And, in the case of this family, dishonesty intended to protect the innocent created...more
This book follows 4 generations of women as they evolve as wives and mothers. The title comes from the idea of this sins of one generation being carried forward to future generations. It was interesting and engaging, and while I didn't necessarily identify with any of the characters (in terms of my own life experience), it did remind me how much I enjoyed falling in love with my husband.
It also leads the reader to wonder how many of the choices that we make are made with true freedom, and how m...more
It also leads the reader to wonder how many of the choices that we make are made with true freedom, and how m...more
Really enjoyed this book. Found it on the book club shelf of the library. Explores themes of changing women's duties and rights over time, how marriage has changed, and how telling a lie to cover a sin can having lasting effects through generations. I enjoyed seeing how lives were mended when one person finally has the courage to tell the whole truth.
I would give this 3.5 stars. I really liked some parts but overall I just liked it. It tended to be a bit stale and predictable at parts. But I enjoyed reading all the woman's stories. It was interesting how each generation was affected by the choices and mistakes of the one that come before in ways they didn't even realize. I liked the first half of Suzanne's story best because it was set in the 60's and she married a hippie! I have never read a Christian fiction book where that has happened! H...more
I've been giving 5 stars more liberally lately but I just keep hitting the jackpot! I have loved Lynn Austin books in the past but this is my favorite so far for sure. It tells the story of 4 generations of women-their love stories, their life, and includes mystery. I stayed up late finishing it. Couldn't put it down.
Read this for my ward book club. The story was interesting, tying together the lives of four generations of women and portraying how their choices and failings affect subsequent generations. I liked the story of the first woman best, it could have been a book on its own! Some of the other stories made me a little crazy.
I love how this book is set up. It follows the stories of four different women from a great-grandmother down to the granddaughter. Each found their way to reconciliation with God and each learned from the other's mistakes. I haven't read a fiction book in awhile and it was really hard to put this one down :)
This was the first book I've read of Lynn Austin and I was totally in love. what a great book! The story of Emmas mother I found occasionally a bit boring, but as I continued reading I couldn't stop. It's been years since I first read Eva's daughters, but occasionally I get it out of the closet again and Im once more enchanted with this story.
I had read several reviews of this book so very much looked forward to reading. And it was very worth reading. The intertwining of our lives to our mothers, our grandmothers and on back is interesting to consider. The progression of a woman's role in the family has changed a great deal since the early 1900's when this book really gets started.
Lynn Austin, the author, clearly has a strong relationship with God. It comes out in the book but in a way of showing strength that people have found.
Lynn Austin, the author, clearly has a strong relationship with God. It comes out in the book but in a way of showing strength that people have found.
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For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later...more
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Dec 10, 2008 05:14am